New Story Premise: Kate&Ben, 1 night stand
by KylieKyotie
Summary: The story begins with Kate & Ben's first meeting at the bar. Except that they end up sleeping together. Of course they are surprised to meet again the next day at Kate's mediation. They will continue to have cases and Ben joins Reed & Reed. Except now we can see what changes given they start out being intimate.
1. Chapter 1

_**San Francisco, Brando's Bar, Monday Night, 8:45 pm**_

Kate sat at the bar waiting for Justin. Brando's was a very "hip", urban "hot spot" – popular with established, successful lawyers and other professionals. The interior was sleek and modern – dark plum colored walls with chrome fixtures, blond hardwood floors, lots of shiny glass and high end art offset with large and small vases of brightly colored, exotic flowers placed strategically throughout the space for their best display. The crowd was mostly 30's and above who were "established" – or at least on their way. You'd hear Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Ella Fitzgerald, Buble', Harry Connick Jr. and old standards playing there for the most part, the kind of music the parents and grandparents of the current crowd would have listened to – in its actual prime. The younger set had rediscovered the former era's finest talents, making it all "cool" again.

Kate brought her and Justin's divorce papers to the bar. They had agreed to meet, sign the papers, have a drink and finalize the thing already, instead of dragging it out any longer. It was certainly time – it had already been 5 months since they legally separated and divided their shared assets. Kate had taken a bad settlement, which Justin (honorably) pointed out, but she didn't care. At the time she just wanted - no _needed_ - a radical change in her life – she felt like she was suffocating and she didn't care if it cost a little more than it had to if it bought her freedom. Besides, her larger fortune, her inheritance from her father, was intact, in a trust fund. Justin had no claim to it. Although, he wasn't the kind of guy who would even _try_ to get a piece of it. He had too much integrity and he simply wasn't driven by money.

Within the plain, manila envelope in front of her was the last bit of "marriage" between her and Justin. It was just paperwork finalizing the end of their union. She felt overwhelmingly sad about it, but knew it had to be done – dispatched as it were – regardless of her current feelings. Sometimes the right thing really "sucks" but it is still the "right thing". Kate was concerned though - Justin was already 45 minutes late – which was so not like him. He would typically call if he was going to be late or had to reschedule. Maybe he was "freaked out" by this whole thing, though. Very possible. Kate tried calling Justin's cell and it went directly to voicemail. "That can't be good", she thought.

As she sat there – her scotch nearly untouched in front of her – lost in thought – a man suddenly walked up to the bar. Making sure that she saw him, he openly smiled at her – saying to the bartender, "Plymouth and tonic." Kate, said simply, "Check please," deciding it was time to leave, since Justin was clearly not coming and she was attracting unwanted attention.

"Do you always come in the door leaving," the man asked. Kate looked at her bill, not wanting to be offensive, but not wanting to talk to the man either, and said "It is just _not_ my scene," half smiling. "Really? He asked. "Well, either you were born on that bar stool or you're disguised as a woman looking for attention," he taunted her. "And you're wearing a three thousand dollar suit with a pocket square" Kate retorted, a little sharply. He smiled, enjoying getting a rise out of her. "I believe my motives are clear," he said smirking assuredly and sitting on the bar stool next to her. "Sorry, it has been a while since someone offered to buy me a drink," she said apologetically, realizing she had been a bit rude. He raised his eyebrows, "Really, did the world go blind? He said in genuine disbelief, since she was by anyone's standards, a "beauty". "I'm married", Kate said. His expression changed to guarded, then respectful. Kate continued, "_Was_ married. Now I'm not. The Ex was on his way to sign the – whatever", she said gesturing at the envelope in front of her, "but he has obviously _blown me off_," she finished, shaking her head. "Well, it's just as well, he would have changed his mind," the man said, flirting. "_Nice try_," she replied. "Maybe it will feel – normal – _someday_," she said, signing her credit card receipt and shrugging.

"Do you believe in fate?" He asked. "Is that a _line_?" Kate asked. "It's a _question. _It takes the edge off picking up strangers at bars," he replied, watching her carefully. Kate looked at him intently, intrigued. He was interesting and kind of sweet, in a weird kind of way, for someone who was obviously trying to pick her up.

Kate sighed. "I'm 29, nearly divorced, recently orphaned and more recently out of a job. My life is in this kind of _unexpected _place, so yes, I believe in fate. And _I_ think she is a fickle, fickle bitch," Kate admitted openly. "You seem broken," he said, raising his eyebrows, looking impressed, "I _like_ that". "And _you're _a 'fixer'', Kate "shot" back. "No," he said. "Yeah, yeah…." she continued. "No," he said adamantly, shaking his head. "I tend to make things _much_ worse, and then I disappear," he stated. "We'll, at least you're honest about it. You don't see that much," Kate replied with a small laugh. "Oh. You must be a lawyer," he said cocking his head to the side. "School teacher," Kate said, unconvincingly. "Okay, well then, I'm a decent guy and you're a school teacher – so, here's to honesty," he said raising his glass, to "toast" her obvious lie. Kate raised her glass to his – clicking lightly. Draining her glass, Kate shuddered involuntarily at the strength of the liquor and looked at him, "And, good night," she said, picking up her "divorce envelope" and walking past him.

"Is truth the way to your heart?" He asked suddenly as she swept past him. Kate turned sharply, looking a little pissed off. He raised his hands, in mock surrender. "Sorry, counselor. We have not _established_ that you have a heart," he said teasing her. Kate walked up to him, drawing close, so that her nose was almost touching his nose and her mouth was within a half inch of his mouth. He looked a little startled, but didn't move. "The way to my heart," she said earnestly, "is to do _everything_ and to say _nothing_, no foreplay, no negotiation, no strategy, just be who you are and take me…." Before she could finish, he placed his hand behind her neck, pulling her to him, kissing her long and hard. Kate leaned into him and kissed him back, unexpectedly. They pulled apart and looked at each other, both surprised by the intensity of the kiss.

He put his arm around her waist. "I'm Ben," he said. "I'm Kate," she said. He kissed her again. "Kate, would you like to get out of here?" He asked. Kate looked at him. He was handsome, well-dressed and a _really_ good kisser. It would be nice to forget about Justin and everything else for a little while. "Can you be a charming distraction for me, Ben, with no complications?" She asked him. "I will be anything you want right now Kate," Ben replied. "Okay then. Yes, I want to get out of here," Kate replied.

_**Tuesday morning, 6:46 am, Ben's Apartment**_

Beep. Beep…..Beep. Beep….. Beep. Beep….. Beep. Beep….. Beep. Beep

Ben reached over and turned off the alarm. "Sorry," he said. Kate, turned towards him and asked, "What time is it?" "It's my usual wake-up time - 6:46 am", Ben said apologetically. "Oh, my God", Kate said, rolling over and grabbing a pillow, burying her face in it. "Do you have any appointments this morning?" Ben asked. "No, I don't have anything until 1 pm," Kate replied. "Really? That's about the same for me. I guess we could have slept in a little," Ben said, running his index finger from the base of her spine to her neck. Kate turned over, facing him. "Yeah, _that_ would have been nice," she said pointedly. Ben smiled, leaning in to kiss her.

_**Tuesday morning, 11:55 am, Reed & Reed offices**_

Kate walked up to Leo's desk. "Hey," she said smiling, much more enthusiastically than Leo expected for a Tuesday morning (or any morning, lately, for that matter). He looked at Kate suspiciously. "What did you _do_?" Leo asked. Kate reacted immediately, "What? Nothing! Well, okay, nothing, _much_…..I met someone." Leo looked a little shocked. "Wow. Okay, not what I expected." Kate looked quizzical. "What _did_ you expect?" "Not sure – maybe a nice breakfast, or something - but definitely not that," he replied.

"Well, it was great, especially since we'll never see each other again. No complications," Kate finished, smiling. "You know I never do this kind of thing, but it was so awesome to forget about Justin and all that for a little while," Kate said, sounding relieved. Leo smiled, "Well, _whatever_ it takes to make you happy, Kate," he said assuredly, "I'm behind it."

_**Tuesday afternoon, 1:00 pm, Reed & Reed offices**_

Kate walked into the conference room. She shook the clients' hands as well as the opposing attorney, Bob Mahoney, who she already knew from previous dealings. He was also a family connection, since he had known her father for years. The clients' attorney had his back to them as he prepared his coffee. After a minute, he turned around for introductions.

Ben and Kate faced each other and both found themselves momentarily speechless.

Bob Mahoney, noticed their obvious pause. "Do you two know each other?" He asked politely.

"_Kind_ of," Kate said carefully. Ben shook his head affirmatively, "Yes, briefly, but memorably," he stated flatly. "Kate settled a case for me, before, with better results than I expected," Ben concluded, in a very professional tone. Kate, tilted her head, saying sweetly, "Glad to hear it. I don't always get feedback - on a case," she said smiling. "My pleasure," Ben said simply.

Bob Mahoney smiled, sensing the room was "comfortable". "Okay, glad everyone knows each other. Should we get started?" He asked looking at Kate. She nodded her assent and everyone took a place at the table. Kate and Ben looked at each other, briefly, discreetly, and Kate said, "Okay. Everyone, I'm Kate Reed and I am your mediator today…"


	2. Chapter 2: Mediation, Kate Reed Style

_**Reed & Reed Offices, 1:30 pm**_

Despite what Bob Mahoney thought, the mediation wasn't an "easy one" after all. Ben's client Sam, and his granddaughter, ended up walking out when Sam asked Kate if the offer of $350,000 (from Bob Mahoney's client Mann-Waring) meant they admitted to exposing him to vinyl chloride, which in turn gave him cancer. She told him that it didn't but if he was looking for the truth he wouldn't get it in that room – in mediation. Kate then rushed out when Leo showed her a note through the conference room glass panel letting her know Justin was in the hospital because he had gotten "beat up". So, then Sam said he wanted to go to trial to find out the truth. Although she was very distracted, before she left, Kate apologized to everyone and said they could reschedule another meeting if they wanted further discussion. Sam declined, Bob wasn't happy and neither was Ben – who just wanted the cash settlement, not a trial, since he didn't think Sam could get more than $350,000 out of Mann-Waring anyway.

Sam and his granddaughter Cynthia left the room shortly after Kate rushed out on her way to the hospital to see Justin. Ben talked with Bob Mahoney before he left to try and set up another meeting. "Bob. I will go to trial if that is what Sam really wants, but I want to talk to him again to see if a settlement is still possible. Would you be available later today if I can get him to agree to Mann-Waring's last offer of $350,000?" Bob Mahoney looked tired. "Ben, I am at court the rest of the day. If you can get Sam to settle today by 5 pm, I will honor the offer. After that, I will have to consult my client again and see what they want to do," he finished. "Okay," Ben said, "I will talk with Sam again and also the mediator to see if we can settle this today or not." They shook hands and then Ben went in search of Leo, since he guessed he was Kate's assistant.

Ben walked down the hall and found Leo sitting at his desk. Leo looked up, "Hi, Kate isn't here right now. Is there anything I can help you with?" Leo asked politely. Ben walked around to the side of his desk and offered his hand, saying "Hi, I'm Ben Grogan, attorney for Sam Childs. I think I can get Sam to take the settlement offer Mann-Waring just proposed, but I will need to get Kate to come with me to the courthouse to see Bob Mahoney before 5 pm today" he finished. Leo stood up and shook Ben's hand. "I'm Leo, Kate's assistant. Kate had an emergency to attend to, so I'm not sure she'll come back to the office today or not. Let me see if I can get a hold of her."

Leo dialed Kate's cell. She didn't pick up, so he texted a message, "K, SamCs attrny – Ben – standing here now – wants to meet U to take settlement offer to BobM at courthouse. When will U be available? PS How is Justin?" Leo looked at Ben, "It may take a few minutes to get a response – would you like some coffee while you wait?" Leo offered. "That would be great, " Ben replied. "I need to make a few phone calls as well. Can I use the conference room or is there somewhere else I can go that has some privacy?" Ben asked. "You can use Kate's office", Leo motioned to his right. "How do you take your coffee?" Leo inquired. "Why don't you just show me where it is and I'll fix it," Ben said helpfully. "Okay, then, right this way Ben," Leo gestured to his left and led Ben to the small coffee station down the hall. They both got a cup of coffee and returned to Leo's desk. Ben went into Kate's office.

Ben looked around Kate's office. It was nicely decorated with some bohemian touches here and there. He was curious about her in the bar and even though she asked him to be a "charming distraction with no complications," after spending the night together and then finding out she was _Kate Reed_, one of the best mediators in San Francisco, he was already planning to get to know her better – complicated or not. Ben sat on Kate's couch and dialed Cynthia Childs, Sam's granddaughter – she was much more his ally in this case than Sam. Sam was "old school" and didn't believe in lawsuits, even though Ben was positive that Mann-Waring was negligent and caused him harm in the form of cancerous tumors.

"Hi Cynthia? Ben Grogan. I want to see if we can get Sam to take the settlement Mann-Waring proposed today. I really think this is the most we can get for this claim. It would certainly help Sam with his medical bills and get him treatments that could give him some relief that he may not otherwise be able to afford. Can you talk to him and let me know? If you give me the go ahead, I will have the mediator come with me and sign off on the offer before the end of the day with Mann-Waring's attorney Bob Mahoney. Okay? Great, call me back as soon as you can. Thank you Cynthia," Ben concluded.

Kate saw Leo's text about 10 minutes after he sent it. She was on the phone when she saw the text come in. She had just gotten back to her boat after seeing Justin in the hospital. Apparently, Ben was not interested in going to trial. She knew she had to take care of this case, but was feeling a little unsettled after seeing Justin and thinking about seeing Ben again – her "charming distraction" that showed up at the office for her mediation that afternoon. What are the chances her one-in-a-million one-nighter would end up being someone she would be involved with on a case – _the very next day_? It had been a very nice night with Ben. He was funny, charming and really good in bed. Kate especially enjoyed the "no strings attached" aspect of their time together. Just some "adult fun". Ben was the first man she had been with in years, other than Justin. She and Justin had gotten pretty serious, pretty fast when they met (she was in her third year of her undergraduate degree and he was already in law school). They became "exclusive" and only dated each other within weeks of meeting. They were engaged and then married after Justin was already done with law school and Kate was half way through law school. That was about 7 years ago and now they were nearly divorced.

Kate called Leo. "Hi Leo? So, what's going on now? Is Ben still there?" Kate asked. "Yes, he's in your office making a few phone calls. He's trying to get the client to agree to the settlement offer from Mann-Waring. He has to meet Bob Mahoney at the courthouse by 5 pm today, with you, if he gets the go ahead," Leo explained. "Okay," Kate said. "I'll just come back to the office now. Can you give Ben my number and ask him to call me?" Kate asked. Leo looked over at Ben through the glass wall. He looked up. Leo pointed to the phone, mouthing, "Kate." Ben finished his call and walked out to Leo's desk.

"I just heard back from Kate," Leo explained. "She asked that you call her to discuss the case. I'll send you her number – I already have your number in my phone with the other contacts from the Mann-Waring mediation," Leo finished. Ben's phone beeped when Kate's number came in via a text message. "Thanks Leo – You're the man," Ben said, turning to go back into Kate's office to call her.

Ben dialed Kate's cell. "Hello - Ben?" Kate answered. "Yes, it's Ben Grogan, Katie," Ben replied. "Hi Ben – and it's just 'Kate'. What's happening with your client? Have you gotten confirmation Sam wants to take the settlement offer?" Kate asked, rushing her question a little. Ben smiled, sensing she was a little "rattled" to talk with him. Ignoring her "Kate" comment, he said "Waiting to hear back now Katie. Hopefully it will be any minute. Where are you now? How long will it take you to get back here or to the courthouse, if you want to go straight there?" Kate knew he was teasing her by using "Katie" so she didn't say anything about it again. "It's about 40 minutes to either place from here," Kate replied, "but I need to come to the office first to get my paperwork. Do you want to wait for me or meet at the courthouse?" Kate asked. "I'll wait for you here, I want to see you either way. I am hoping Sam gives his okay, but he may not, depends if his granddaughter can convince him to take it or not. She holds a lot more sway with him than I do." Kate decided not to reply to his "wanting to see her either way" comment. Instead, she kept her tone professional and said, "Okay, I'll leave in a couple of minutes. Can you let Leo know I'm on my way there?" Kate asked. "Sure Katie, see you soon," Ben answered sweetly.

As soon as he hung up with Kate, Ben called Cynthia Childs again. "Hi Cynthia. Have you talked with Sam yet? Really? Great, okay, we'll go get it. Are you okay? You sound a little upset. Oh, I'm sorry to hear Sam is having so much pain. Well, you'll be able to get him some help soon. No, no, it's okay. You go ahead, I'll call you later. Take care," Ben said soothingly. "Poor thing," he thought. Cynthia was a sweet girl and she adored her grandfather Sam. It was really hard for her to see him suffer.

Ben walked out of the office to talk to Leo. "Leo, I just talked to Kate. She's coming here – she'll be here in about 45 minutes. I also talked to my client and I'm authorized to accept the settlement offer. Now, we just have to get to the court in time to see Bob Mahoney."

_**Reed & Reed Offices, 3:45 pm**_

Kate walked in and saw Ben in her office, sitting on the couch talking on his phone. She walked over to Leo's desk. "Hi Leo," Kate smiled at him, looking a little flustered. She had raced back to the office after changing clothes and getting a cab after talking to Ben. "You got back here _fast_," Leo said, sounding impressed. "Yeah – it was a miracle really, but we are really short on time so I told the cabbie I'd give him 20 bucks extra if we got back here before 4 pm. And here I am – he was like a ninja cabbie," Kate said, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head to impress upon him the kind of ride it was. Ben walked out of the office. "Hello Ms. Reed – good to see you again and in plenty of time to see Bob at the courthouse," Ben said politely, smiling, watching Kate carefully. "Yes, you have no idea the ride I just had back here. I mean, I asked for it, by promising an extra tip, but still…." Kate finished. Ben said, "Do you need a minute to collect yourself?" "No, I'm fine. I just need the paperwork," Kate replied. Leo handed Kate a file. "Everything is in there. You have a brief case in your office you can use to carry the paperwork," Leo said. "Thanks Leo," Kate replied. Kate went into her office to get her briefcase. Ben followed closely behind her.

Kate placed the paperwork in the briefcase and looked at Ben. "Well, you were a surprise today, Ben," Kate said quietly, making sure Leo couldn't hear her. "Likewise Katie," Ben replied looking at her intently. Ben had his back to Leo blocking his view of Kate. He reached for her hand, stroking it lightly before letting it drop back to her side. "For my part, it was actually a _nice _surprise since I wanted to see you again," Ben admitted. "Well, that might be complicated," Kate said shaking her head indicating it was a problem. "Katie – it's too late to go back and change anything. It is what it is. We've seen each other naked, okay? We enjoyed each other's company as strangers, so now let's just make a good thing _better_ and get to know each other," Ben suggested. "I'm not sure right now Ben, I have to think this over, it feels a little overwhelming at the moment," Kate said looking very unsure. "How about if we just get to the courthouse, take care of the settlement, and then we talk afterwards?" Ben suggested. "Okay – then, let's go," Kate agreed. They walked out of Kate's office together. "Leo, we're going to the courthouse, I probably won't see you again tonight," Kate called out to Leo. Leo waved, "Good times Kate," he said.

Ben and Kate walked to the elevator. "I'll drive," Ben said, "my car is in the garage downstairs." "Okay," Kate replied as they stepped into the elevator together, the only passengers. Ben put his arm around Kate's waist. "Ben, I just said I'm not sure about this and now you've got your arm around me?" Kate said disbelievingly. "I am just helping to 'steady' you Katie," Ben offered helpfully. Then he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. Kate rolled her eyes, looking at the ceiling. "You don't ever really back off, do you Ben?" Kate asked. "Not really – do you?" Ben asked. "Not really," Kate admitted. "Great, then we'll understand each other," Ben said. "I suppose we will," Kate replied with a slight sigh knowing whatever had started between them was not over – it was only just beginning.


	3. Chapter 3: Sam's Case

_**San Francisco Courthouse, 4:15 pm**_

Ben and Kate drove from the Reed & Reed offices to the downtown courthouse. It wasn't far but Ben always insisted on driving everywhere, unless something was within _easy_ walking distance. Not only because he liked driving his car and couldn't stand taxi cabs, but he liked the statement and impression his car made. Not many people drove Aston Martins. Ben believed in courting perception, as typically practiced by high powered attorneys, by wearing expensive suits, driving luxury cars and working from exclusive locations.

Kate was quiet, looking out the window as they drove. Ben glanced over at her. "In a mood, Katie?" he asked in a teasing tone. Ben had settled on "Katie" as his favorite name for Kate, which she had already accepted by this point. She didn't even react to it anymore. "I'm fine," Kate said, "just thinking about Sam taking Mann-Waring's offer. I'm not sure it's the best thing. I don't think it will really give him satisfaction," she finished. "He's never going to get the truth from this company Katie, they will bury the plaintiffs in proceedings until they all die off if they have to. What Sam _needs_ is money to stay alive. The 350 they offered will at least give him a chance at a longer, less painful life than he has without it," Ben stated. "Well, that may be true, but it _sucks_ and Mann-Waring _sucks_," Kate said with disgust, shaking her head. "Well, he could get _nothing _and that would suck _more_," Ben concluded practically. "Uh huh," Kate replied, looking out the window dejectedly.

After arriving at the courthouse and parking, Kate stopped at a street vendor's cart and bought a coffee to take inside. They found a bench near the court entrance where the Mann-Waring case was being heard. Kate sat down, facing the courtroom doors, watching for Bob Mahoney to come out when the case was done for the day. Ben stood a few feet behind her, also watching, leaning against one of the speckled gray marble pillars of the grand old, historic building. "How much coffee do you drink?" Ben asked pointedly, with a look that said, _way too much_. "I don't know. How much coffee _is_ there?" Kate replied, sounding irritated. Ben brushed off the comment. He knew Kate was peevish because she was frustrated by the case. A man exited the courtroom, talking on his cell phone.

Ben walked a few steps closer, standing next to Kate. "That's George Algers, CEO of Mann-Waring. The guy has got to be worth at _least _thirty mil," Ben said. "Believe me, there _is_ an amount of money that will make Sam happy enough for both of you to forget about whatever 'navel gazing' moral issue he might have," Ben stated in a somewhat patronizing tone. "Like whether or not he was _lied to_ by the people that will be responsible for his death?" Kate snapped in response. "There _is_ a number," Ben replied evenly, shrugging.

A minute later, another man and a security guard exited the court room. The man was walking fast, obviously upset. The security guard trailed close behind him. The man looked back at George Algers as he passed, saying loudly, "I can't _believe_ this! 3 weeks I spent on this god*mn case. Like it's _my _fault," he exclaimed as he walked angrily to the front exit of the courthouse. Ben walked over to the security guard. "What's up?" He asked, clearly acquainted with the guard. The security guard looked concerned, "The judge is excusing a juror for _exposure_," he said raising his eyebrows, indicating it was "serious". The guard walked back to court, having made sure that the juror left the premises. Ben said, turning toward Kate, "Tell me you aren't just a little….", seeing Kate was already gone, "curious," he finished, then ran quickly toward where the juror exited the building.

Kate took off after the juror as soon as she heard the guard say, "exposure", hoping to get additional details if he would talk to her. She caught up to the juror as he was walking quickly down the courthouse steps. "Hello? Excuse me!" Kate called after him loudly as she raced down the steps after him. "Excuse me, sir!" She said. He stopped and turned around when he heard her. "You were on the Mann-Waring class action jury, right?" She asked sweetly. He still looked upset and said, "I just wasted 3 weeks for nothing!" He said emphatically. She continued. "I've been following it. I know someone involved," Kate explained haltingly. The juror looked a little confused _and_ a little suspicious. Ben caught up to them at that moment and said, "We _both _do. What's the mood in there?" He inquired.

The man didn't say anything for a moment, but then comprehension flashed across his face, "Oh, you're lawyers," he said shaking his head. Kate replied, "No, not really." Ben looked at her inquisitively and then looked back at the juror. The man continued to shake his head, saying, "I can't talk to you about the case. Judge Washburn was very specific in his orders," he explained, shrugging and then walking away. Kate and Ben ran after him. Kate caught up to him first and implored, "Okay, look, excuse me! Look, I don't want you to get in trouble with the judge. We can do this so that you don't break _any_ rules," she said reassuringly. The man looked skeptical, but asked, "How?" Kate said excitedly, "The reason you were excused, was it because you were exposed to something that affected your ability to make a fair judgment in the case?" She inquired. The juror replied, "The judge said I couldn't discuss it because it was based on evidence that hadn't been presented to the court," he clarified. Ben's face lit up, and said excitedly, "So this thing…" Kate interjected, "Don't interrupt me!" "But I know where you're going with this, this is good…" Ben said. "Good, so don't interrupt me!" Kate said sounding annoyed. She turned back to the juror, "So the judge said you couldn't discuss the case, but whatever you saw or heard wasn't _part of the_ _case_…" she emphasized. Ben interrupted again, caught up in the discovery, saying enthusiastically, "…wasn't part of the case at all!" "So then you can tell us," Kate finished, smiling at the juror and giving a "hard smile" (actually kind of a dirty look) to Ben. Ben noticed the look but he ignored it. He thought Kate was being a bit moody anyways and he was thrilled about what was possibly a_ very_ big break in favor of Sam's case.

_**Reed & Reed Offices**_

Ben and Kate drove back to the Reed & Reed offices. Kate was in a better mood since talking to the juror. Even though she was hired by Bob Mahoney as a mediator, her sympathies were with Sam, since she was certain he had been treated unjustly by Mann-Waring. "Well, that was a big piece of information." Ben said. "It definitely _could_ be," Kate agreed. "It may actually help to get Sam _satisfied_," Ben teased. "Right, I know, there _is_ a number," Kate said mockingly, provoked by Ben's tone. Ben made a face, "Oh, please, spare me - the whole point is to get Sam a good settlement. The bigger the settlement, the more likely it is that Mann-Waring was knowingly negligent, whether they admit it or not. Sam needs to understand that and you shouldn't fill his head with your moral superiority either. You could actually cause him harm by making him reject the settlement money that he needs to stay alive," Ben said with a critical tone, more serious this time. Kate was immediately riled. "I am _not_ being morally superior – I _am_ trying to help Sam and part of that is discovering the truth or something close to it that Sam can live with. He doesn't want to be a 'complainer' who sues just because a lawyer advised him to do it," Kate finished in a huff. Ben looked over at Kate. "You certainly _sound _morally superior Katie. Especially since you are in fact 'a lawyer' yourself," Ben concluded, sounding annoyed as well. They rode the rest of the way to the office in silence.

After arriving to the office, Ben and Kate explained everything they found out to Leo. The former juror had mistakenly used a restroom that wasn't dedicated for use by active jurors and inadvertently overheard an attorney talking about a testimony that wasn't going to be used. It was from someone who had formerly worked at Mann-Waring during the time that was critical to the case. The witness was an executive assistant with the initials LB who had seen a memo citing unsafe levels of vinyl chloride in the factory 2 years before employees were notified of the problem. It was a potential lynchpin in the case and Ben and Kate were discussing how to find the reluctant witness – what court rosters they could check, etc., when Lauren walked in and asked about the mediation. Ben enthusiastically said they could "nail Bob Mahoney to a wall", with a satisfied grin on his face. Kate looked at him and shook her head in disbelief at his imprudence. Lauren of course looked mortified and asked to see Kate in her office.

Kate and Lauren walked down the hall to Lauren's office. Watching them, Ben asked Leo about Lauren, "What does she do around here?" Leo smiled and said, "When Teddy was alive he used to call her R2D2 because when the garbage shoot is about to close, she's who you want on your side. She's brilliant. Plus, she used to be a serious porn star. " Ben looked intrigued. Leo slapped his shoulder, laughing. "Just kidding about that last part. But you believed it, right? It's like a vibe, " he concluded, walking back to his desk.

Ben decided to wait for Kate in her office so they could work on how to uncover the reluctant witness. Kate came back about 15 minutes later. "Thank you for getting Lauren more agitated than usual, Benedict. I don't tell her _anything_, unless I have to, but you just went ahead and 'spilled' everything" Kate said, clearly annoyed, when she walked in the room. "She'll get over it Katie," Ben replied, unflapped by Kate's irritation. "Right now, we need to figure out how to find and then talk to this important witness," Ben finished. "Yeah, okay. Lauren's usually pissed at me about something, so it's not really _that_ big of a deal," Kate agreed. "Let's check the court roster first like you said earlier – maybe we'll get lucky," Kate said. "I'll drive," Ben offered. They grabbed their things, and headed back to the courthouse. Walking past Leo, Kate called out, "Back to court, Leo, we may be gone a while." "Okay, Kate. Check in when you know something. Let me know if there's anything you need from me," Leo responded.

_**San Francisco Courthouse**_

Ben and Kate pulled into the parking garage at the courthouse. Ben pulled up to the attendant booth and gave the attendant a $20. The attendant gave him a slip of paper with a parking space written on it. Ben waved and drove to the spot, right by the court entrance. Kate looked at him, incredulous. "Saves an unbelievable amount of time when you're in and out of this place as much as I am and _have been_ over the last ten years," Ben replied to her look. "The guys always keep track of the spots that belong to court officials not using their spaces that are close to the door for me," Ben finished. "It never would have occurred to me," Kate said. "No, but then you have been focusing on _other _things," Ben said. "Apparently," Kate agreed. "Hold on a second Katie," Ben said before Kate exited the car. "I've been waiting to do this all day," he said. Kate looked quizzical. Ben put his hand behind her neck, pulling her to him and kissed her. Kate was surprised but quickly responded, kissing him back. Ben brushed her cheek and kissed her again, softly, lightly on her lips. "Okay," he breathed, "I really needed to do that," he explained. Kate smiled. "Okay, Benedict. You are….well, I'm not quite sure _what_, but surprising, for lack of a better word, I guess. So, we're good?" "Yes," Ben smiled, "Let's see what we find out from the court rosters."


	4. Chapter 4: Divorce Papers

_**Reed and Reed, Kate's office, 7 pm**_

Kate and Ben had had a good day. They uncovered the "reluctant witness" in the Mann-Waring case and used the "threat" of her testimony to get George Algers to admit to his knowledge of the toxic chemical exposure that sickened so many Mann-Waring employees, including Ben's client Sam Childs. Sam and others in the class action suit would be awarded millions.

Ben and Kate returned to the Reed & Reed offices to drop off Kate's paperwork. They were getting ready to go out and celebrate their win, when Ben asked Kate about her divorce. Kate admitted she never filed the paperwork. It was still sitting on her desk, waiting for Justin's signature. They had been talking about it for a little while and they were clearly becoming more and more annoyed with each other.

They were sitting next to each other on Kate's couch, turned sideways to each other as they talked.

"No, I _don't _agree," Ben said firmly. "Well, whether you agree or not, that's the way it is right now," Kate replied defensively. They looked at each other for a moment. Stalemate. Both were serious and neither was going to change their opinion anytime soon.

"So, you're going to give you and your 'ex' another try?" Ben asked pointedly. "That's not what I'm saying, at all" Kate replied evasively. "You're not saying much of anything actually. I don't know why you switched from litigation to mediation. You obviously have the 'chops' to be a good lawyer," Ben said, baiting Kate. Kate looked at Ben guardedly. She was getting mad and she knew that's exactly what he wanted. Some _big_ reaction. Instead, she forced herself to take a deep breath and "push off" her anger.

"Ben, _I_ _signed_ the divorce papers, okay? But Justin got mugged on his way to meet me that night," Kate continued. "Yeah, I remember," Ben said, cutting her off. "That was the night we met and slept together," Ben finished bluntly. Kate was mad again. "Benedict, just _drop it_ already!" She said, raising her voice. "Justin will sign when he's ready. It's not like we're living together or anything. Almost _all_ the legal stuff is already done. We just have to file the paperwork with the court," Kate said heatedly.

A pang pierced her heart when she told Ben it was just a matter of "filing paperwork". Her feeling was surprising. She really thought she was resolved about the whole thing. She and Justin had both agreed that "it was the best thing" for both of them. Justin had been the love of her life and now they were just one signature away from being nothing. She felt sad when she allowed herself to think about it, which wasn't often, and that was exactly what Ben was forcing her to do. "Maddening. He's absolutely maddening," Kate thought.

Ben was watching Kate carefully. She was angry and upset but also looked like she could cry at any minute. Normally he would employ his considerable lawyering skills and be much more strategic while questioning someone about a volatile subject. He would typically let things play out more and guide events to a desired outcome. That is, to _his_ desired outcome. Instead, he was being aggressive, pushing Kate to admit to her feelings, one way or the other. He wanted to bring everything to a "boil" because even in the short time they had known each other, Ben could see Kate was masterful at avoiding her emotions and he was impatient. He didn't want to wait around for Kate if she was going to be wishy-washy about ending her marriage. He had a feeling he could fall hard for her, and was even willing to give it a try, but not with an ex-husband, who wasn't _officially_ an "ex", still in the picture.

Kate took another deep breath, quelling her anger and sadness for the moment. She leaned back against the couch, looking at the ceiling, away from Ben. Kate shook her head. "You're picking a fight Ben. I'm not going to get into this anymore with you," she said, sounding tired. "It will happen when it happens." A part of Ben wanted to push the topic further but he knew he would just alienate her if he kept at it any longer. He would have to decide to stay close and wait and see what happened or keep his distance while she sorted it out for herself. He might just have to use his lawyering skills after all. Or, maybe he should just be a "charming distraction". Either way, Kate wasn't going to do anything about finalizing her divorce before she was ready and she clearly wasn't ready. Ben knew it was unreasonable for him to make emotional demands under the circumstances. They hadn't known each other very long, after all, and although they had spent a night together, they weren't even officially dating. They weren't officially _anything_. He leaned back on the couch, assuming the same stance as Kate.

"I understand Katie. You should do whatever feels right to you. It's a big step to finally dissolve a marriage. I'd like to give us a try but it can't happen if you're still involved with your 'ex'," he finished carefully, making sure to reinforce Kate had an "ex", not a current husband. Kate looked over at Ben. He was surprisingly intense, much more than she would have expected, but he was backing off, like she asked. She sighed, not angry anymore, just kind of "spent". She didn't respond to his comment about "starting something" and "being involved with her ex-husband" since that would have just prolonged the conversation that she wanted to drop. Ben sat up and looked at her. "Are you still up for dinner or maybe just a drink?" He asked. Kate sat up as well. "I could use a drink, but I'm not sure about dinner," she said. "Okay, drinks it is. We do have a lot to celebrate, after all," Ben said lightly. "Yes, we do," Kate agreed.

_**Benito's Bistro & Grill, near the waterfront.**_

Ben picked the restaurant. Benito's was a lively nightspot with a great bar and great food. He thought it would be a good atmosphere to lighten the mood after their argument over the divorce papers. Or more accurately, their argument about Kate _not_ following through on completing the process, even though Justin was out of the hospital, even giving joint press conferences with the DA about their renewed efforts at fighting crime in the city. He was an anti-crime poster-boy after his mugging and the DA was making the most of it in the press. Justin wasn't "on the mend" – he was just fine. It was Kate who was stalling. Ben decided he wasn't going to broach the subject again though, unless he saw there was some advantage to doing so. He was going to be strategic. Kate was not in the right frame of mind or the right circumstances right now, being not _quite_ divorced, to start anything serious. It was frustrating, but Ben wasn't going to jeopardize a potential future relationship with Kate because he was feeling impatient. He would bide his time if he had to.

They sat on one of the plush loveseats in the lounge and ordered a bottle of expensive tequila to toast their success in Sam's case. "To Sam getting _satisfaction_," Ben offered, smiling impishly. Kate smiled. "To you and Sam making _lots_ of money," Kate returned, equally impish. "Cheers," they said in unison, drinking their shots. Ben put his arm around Kate. Kate leaned into him, putting her head on his shoulder. Ben brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead softly.

It felt good to be close to Ben, _especially_ after arguing with him. He had managed to get her pretty upset talking about finalizing her divorce, but afterwards she found all she wanted was to have him hold her. He was maddening but also strangely comforting. She actually felt better after talking about the divorce with him. It was cathartic. Kate kept her emotions bottled up tight on the subject, rarely allowing herself to_ think_ about it much less_ talk_ about it. That kind of mental/emotional control was truly exhausting. Ben figured it out fairly quickly though and the first chance he got, he practically attacked the subject. But then, when she really felt unable and unwilling to talk about it anymore, he backed off. And now, he was just …. _sweet_.

"You are really something Ben," Kate said appreciatively, albeit a little vaguely. Ben didn't need clarification – she said it in a soft tone, whatever she meant. "So are you Katie, so are you," Ben replied, kissing her forehead again. "Want to order some appetizers, so we don't get too drunk?" Ben suggested. "That's a good idea," Kate agreed. Ben motioned to their waiter and ordered some water along with a few assorted appetizers.

"Do you want to come home with me tonight Katie?" Ben asked, stroking her cheek. Kate shifted a little so she could look at Ben. She ran her finger over his lips and brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Yes, I would," Kate confirmed, leaning in to kiss him. "Not mad"?" Ben asked, after a long kiss. "No, not mad," Kate said, looking at Ben affectionately. "You know, there's something both challenging _and_ comforting about you," she said thoughtfully. "It certainly doesn't fit convention, but I feel close to you already in the short time we've known each other. It's nice but it's also disconcerting," she admitted. Ben smiled, his eyes twinkled playfully. "I think you're going to feel even _closer_ to me tonight," he predicted. Kate laughed, pushing his chest lightly with her open hand. "Really Ben? _That's_ what you have to say to me?" She asked in mock seriousness. "It's all coming together Katie. My master plan is all coming together," Ben said smiling. "That doesn't surprise me Ben. That doesn't surprise me at all," Kate acknowledged, pulling his arm more tightly around her and leaning her head into his chest.


	5. Chapter 5: Ben Joins Reed and Reed

_**Reed & Reed Offices, Afternoon, 3 pm**_

Kate glanced over at Ben's office. She could see him arranging some things on his desk. His office already looked very _settled_. Movers had come in early that morning along with an interior design team to put everything together. They were done before noon. It looked like he had always been there by the time they were finished. She had already seen him meet with a client that afternoon. He moved fast.

Ben had bought into _Reed & Reed_ the prior evening as an equal partner. Lauren discussed it with Kate beforehand and told her that as long as his offer was reasonable, they needed to bring him in to keep the firm afloat. They were in trouble financially and since they had torpedoed Bob Mahoney's _insulting_ offer (after Kate threw her water on him during lunch when he condescendingly told Lauren and Kate, "…let's face it, the only real asset _Reed & Reed_ has left is the building"), there wouldn't be any _further_ offers from Bob Mahoney's firm. Plus Kate had collaborated with Ben and helped win Ben's client millions against Bob's corporate client. With _Reed & Reed's _client base dwindling and the economy in a downturn/unofficial recession, they needed Ben's buy-in and the additional business he would bring to the firm – badly – desperately even.

Of course, Lauren didn't know about Kate and Ben. In fact, no one knew about Kate and Ben except Kate and Ben. Leo knew Kate had been having some sort of clandestine affair of late, but he didn't know _who _it was just that Kate was less stressed out about Justin and her Dad and her boat because of it. As far as Leo was concerned, if "getting her groove on" helped Kate get through her problems, it was all good. Kate was still staying with Lauren temporarily until she found a new place to live, which was demanding enough for Kate on its own. Leo told her, reassuringly, that the universe was helping her make a whole new start. Kate told him she wished the universe would just mind its own business.

Kate was expecting Justin to come by her office soon. He was setting up a meeting for a mediation involving a liability waiver between the city's Mercy Franciscan Hospital and the FBI. They hadn't been talking lately because Justin admitted to Kate that he had cheated on her once during their marriage. Kate was with him at his office at the time. She had stopped by to congratulate him on his run for the DA's seat. Since his boss was planning to rerun for that spot, it put Justin in a very tenuous position and she wanted to offer her moral support since she truly believed Justin was the best man for the job. He was a stand-up guy who believed in serving a greater good through public office. A real grown-up boy scout. DA Davidson was a true politician – self-serving, connected, ruthless and sneakily corrupt (but smart about it so he always looked good and never got caught).

They had started to talk about putting their divorce papers aside and possibly reconciling, when he told her about the cheating. He thought he should be honest so they had a "clean slate" going forward. Kate stormed out of his office and back to _Reed & Reed_ and then Leo drove her home. She was crying in his car when they both saw her boat – where she had been living since her Dad died and she split up with Justin - blow up. Literally. She would always think of it as the night from hell, complete with the fiery demise of her father's boat.

Now she was waiting to see Justin. She had their divorce papers ready for him as well. It was time to let go of the past and accept they no longer belonged together. Kate flipped open the deceptively cheerful, bright blue folder that held the documents. She glanced through them and made sure she had signed everywhere necessary. She had already put "sign here" stick-ums where Justin's signature was required. She closed the folder again.

When she looked up she saw Ben in the doorway watching her. "Hey, got a minute?" He asked. Kate leaned back in her chair. "Sure, come in. What do you need? All moved in?" She inquired. Ben walked into her office and sat down in one of the guest chairs in front of Kate's desk. "Pretty much. Just a few minor things to do. There's some business I need to discuss though. I have a client who is suing one of Lauren's clients for defamation," Ben stated. "Seriously? You're planning to sue your own partner?" Kate asked disbelievingly. "That's the thing. I have had my client, Jenny Chang, for a while. She is a fresh, hot new designer – very in demand from coast to coast. Last year she 'left the nest' of an old fuddy-duddy designer named Ian Sanders to work on her own designs. But she didn't launch her label until _this_ year after her non-compete agreement expired. Ian Sanders, who is Lauren's client, is trying to sue her for breach of contract, so we are countering with a defamation suit. It's a total waste of time though, all around, because Ian Sanders doesn't have a leg to stand on," Ben said assuredly.

Kate looked perturbed. "My Dad, Teddy, knew Ian Sanders for years. He was a friend as well as a client. Ian used to make me ugly track suits every year," Kate said, sounding a little nostalgic. "Well, Lauren should drop him. The case is a dog and he has been losing money every year for the last 6 years because his designs are hopelessly out of date. He's dead weight as a client," Ben said matter-of-factly. "Ben, he's been a client for twenty years! We can't just drop him. You should drop _your_ client," Kate stated emphatically. "Ridiculous. Jenny Chang is the darling of the fashion world and she's just getting _started_. We need to keep the winners and drop the losers. _Reed & Reed _is in trouble Kate. We need to do something to dig ourselves out of this ditch. What do you think is the smart business decision here?" Ben asked pointedly. Kate looked conflicted. She knew Ben made a good point about the firm's standing. They did need help getting "out from under" that's why Ben was there in the first place. "We need to talk to Lauren about this," Kate said firmly. "Great, let's go see her," Ben said, standing up. Kate shook her head and held up her hand like a stop sign. "It has to be later. Right now I'm expecting Justin and then I have a mediation right after. I'll have to check in with you when I'm done," Kate finished in a rush.

"Justin's coming here?" Ben inquired, raising his eyebrows and sitting back in the chair. "Uh huh, any minute," Kate replied guardedly. "For business?" Ben pressed. "Mostly," Kate said simply. Ben rested his chin on his hand and looked intently at Kate. Kate looked back at him unflinchingly, remaining quiet. "Do you have some papers for him to sign?" Ben said bluntly, clearly annoyed. "Ben….," Kate warned. "What? I seem to remember talking about this, _remember that night_?" Ben challenged. "Yeah, and I remember telling you to _drop it_ already," Kate said, _also _clearly annoyed. They stared at each other a moment, not speaking. Ben sighed loudly, quickly deciding it was _still_ not worth fighting about. "Fine. Whatever. Let me know when you get back and we'll go talk to Lauren," he said, dismissing the argument. He stood up and started to walk back to his office. "Ben?" Kate called. He turned back and looked at Kate. Kate held up the bright blue folder that contained the divorce papers. "When I'm_ ready_, I'll give it to him," she said. Ben looked at the folder then back at Kate. "Totally up to you - it's apparently none of my business," he said brusquely and went back to his office. Kate shook her head, muttering to herself, "Well, yeah, _obviously_."

Even though she planned to give the papers to Justin that day when she saw him, Kate didn't want Ben to think he could pressure her into doing something, _anything_ for that matter, before she was ready. He had to be _handled_ a little bit, otherwise she had a feeling he could become overbearing. He was obviously used to getting his way. Besides, they weren't even _dating_, officially. They had seen each other, _quietly_, a couple of times. Ben acted like there was something more between them. Of course, if she was _truly_ honest about it, he was right. Kate had admitted as much the last time they were together when she told him that she felt oddly close to him, given the relatively short amount of time they had known each other. Something _had_ developed between them and now they were partners, which changed everything. Her "charming distraction with no complications" was just one office over, with her assistant Leo in between. Now she would likely see Ben every day – which was certainly distracting _and_ complicated. Kate didn't know if they would or _should_ continue seeing each other. "We're going to have to talk about this. Otherwise, it could get real sticky, real fast," Kate thought anxiously.

Ben was forcing himself to squelch his irritation with Kate. He had too much to do to get rattled emotionally right now. He was probably going to have a "showdown" with Lauren later over the Jenny Chang v Ian Sanders lawsuit and he needed Kate's support as a partner, giving him a 2 to 1 advantage, to effectively win his argument. The personal stuff with Kate would have to wait, but he was definitely going to get back to it, one way or the other.

Kate walked over to Leo's desk. "Hey Leo, I'm still waiting for Justin to come in and set up our mediation between the hospital and the FBI. Anything else going on I need to know about?" Kate asked. Leo knew Kate very well – he had been assigned as her assistant for several years now. Right after she became a lawyer, now a mediator, and even before that when he was in the temp office pool and she was still in law school, working summers at the firm. After all that time, he knew that she didn't need to go over her schedule with him at all. She just needed to talk because she was upset about something. Leo noticed their new partner, Ben Grogan, left her office in a "huff" so he guessed it had something to do with _that_.

"Everything is fine Kate. You have a few calls to return if you want to do that before Justin arrives, but that's about it right now. What's going on _there_?" Leo said, inclining his head towards Ben's office. "Oh, nothing really. He _is_ suing Lauren, but other than _that_, nothing much," Kate said sarcastically. "He's suing _Lauren_?" Leo repeated incredulously. "Well, actually, he's counter suing Ian Sanders on behalf of his client, Jenny Chang, some hot, new designer," Kate detailed. "That sounds juicy," Leo said simply. "Yeah, except we have to talk to Lauren about it. Ian was a friend and a long-term client of Teddy's and I don't see _that_ conversation going well because I think I'm coming in on Ben's side," Kate finished, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, indicating "trouble". "Really?" Leo said sounding surprised. Kate shrugged. Leo looked past Kate and said politely, "Good afternoon Justin." "Hi Leo," Justin returned. Kate turned and faced Justin. "Kate," Justin said, sounding almost formal. "Justin. Let's go to my office for a moment," Kate said in a professional tone, gesturing toward her office. Leo noticed the tension and decided to completely ignore it, not giving it another thought and instead, returning to the mountain of work on his desk.

Ben saw Justin arrive and watched him follow Kate to her office. He forced himself to focus on the casework in front of him instead of getting swept up in the feeling of anger and jealousy trying to "raise its ugly head". Taking a deep breath, he brushed off his feelings and started reading.

Kate sat behind her desk and Justin sat where Ben had just been sitting – on a guest chair in front of her desk. In the past they would typically sit on the couch together - when they were on _friendlier_ terms. "Hi Kate," Justin said quietly. "Hi Justin," Kate returned. They looked at each other in silence for a moment. There was too much to be said in the brief time they had before the mediation, so both decided internally, not to talk about anything other than the mediation at hand. "The administrator from the hospital will be here shortly, as will 2 agents from the FBI. I'm here to make the introductions in an official capacity from the DA's office as a liaison for the FBI," Justin explained. "Okay, I haven't done a mediation like this before, but does that also mean that you aren't staying for the meeting?" Kate inquired. "Correct. The mediation is all you. The DA is simply on record as being involved in facilitating the meeting," Justin clarified. Kate looked doubtful. "It sounds like some kind of official rhetoric, also known as, cover your a**, on _someone's_ part," Kate said suspiciously. "No, don't get the wrong idea about this, it's just protocol to have local law enforcement involved when federal law enforcement - like the FBI or CIA or TSA - comes to town for something like this. It doesn't happen that often, but the DA's office has to be on record as having knowledge of the meeting and then signed off," Justin further explained.

"Uh huh. So I should just shut up and not ask any questions?" Kate asked bluntly. "No, no, that's not what I am saying – at _all_. I am just explaining protocol here," Justin said, exasperated. "Okay, fine. Because I'm telling you right now, I'm going to ask _lots_ of questions," Kate said defiantly. "Just do your job, that's all anyone expects," Justin replied. Kate still looked suspicious, but then adopted an artificially cheerful tone and said enthusiastically, "Great! I'm all set to help people!" Justin shook his head, indicating his own doubt about the pending mediation, wishing he _could_ stay to protect the FBI agents from Kate. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time or the authorization to sit in on the meeting, so he just shrugged and resigned himself to the circumstances. "Sounds good to me," he said uncommittedly. Kate bristled at Justin's reply and what she interpreted as a cavalier attitude.

Just then, Leo walked into Kate's office. "The FBI agents are here; I had them escorted to the conference room. I'm going to check in on them now and ask if they want coffee or anything else," Leo announced. "Thanks Leo, we'll be in shortly," Kate replied appreciatively, standing up and walking around the desk to Justin. She held a bright blue folder. Justin stood up and Kate handed it to him. Justin looked puzzled. "For the mediation?" He asked. "No, it's the final document to dissolve our marriage. These are the divorce papers I had ready for you the night you were mugged awhile back," Kate explained. "I've been stalling this, but I think we need to move on, for both our sakes," the words caught in her throat a little as Kate said them. Justin looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry Kate," he said sincerely. "Me too, but it's time to rip off the band aid," Kate replied, unconvincingly philosophical. "Okay," Justin agreed. They walked together to the conference room trailing behind Leo a few paces.

As they walked past Ben's office he glanced up and saw Justin holding the bright blue folder. The remnants of his anger and jealousy dissolved and he felt better immediately. At least now he and Kate had a chance – even though he didn't expect it to be easy. Kate was a challenge and he didn't have the best track record himself, in terms of relationships, but now there was a possibility for something _more_. A very intriguing, exciting possibility for something more. Ben smiled and focused again on the case in front of him.


End file.
